EastEnders to explore alcoholism with Linda Carter

The soap has been working with Drinkaware on a new story for Linda, who is played by Kellie Bright.

The Queen Vic landlady will come to depend on alcohol as she struggles with the mounting pressure on her family.

“This autumn the Carters will face one of their biggest crises to date when Linda turns to alcohol to escape the increasing pressures of her family life.

 

“Linda’s descent into alcoholism will be instantly recognisable to many – a journey that begins with a single drink to cope with the everyday ups and downs but quickly escalates to a point which wreaks devastation on their life and the lives of those around them.

 

“We hope that anyone in Linda’s situation or those around them notice the signs of alcoholism and seek the help needed.” – Jon Sen, EastEnders Executive Producer

The Carters have faced numerous challenges – with some issues ongoing and others in the recent past – including Mick’s false imprisonment and panic attacks, Ollie’s suspected Autism, and Linda’s “abnormal” smear test results which sparked fears that her cervical cancer might have returned.

Despite trying to put on a positive front, the pressure begins to weigh heavy on Linda leading her to turn to alcohol.

“Feeling pressure to drink, having a drink to celebrate or drinking to cope or relax – these are all common situations that many adults would recognise. The fact is the overwhelming majority of people don’t have a serious problem with alcohol. But it might surprise you to know that you don’t always have to be drinking to extreme levels to become dependent on alcohol.

 

What’s more, regularly drinking above recommended levels can lead to a range of health conditions. Working with EastEnders on this storyline will help us put a spotlight on the potentially harmful result of getting into the habit of drinking regularly. Credit to the script writers who are sensitively showing the journey of how easy it can be for someone to develop risky drinking habits.

 

“Linda’s experiences with alcohol demonstrate why it’s important to be able to recognise signs that you, or someone you care about, could be developing drinking habits that could cause harm to themselves or others.” – Elaine Hindal, Drinkaware Chief Executive

Viewers will see Linda’s alcohol consumption steadily increase in the weeks ahead and it will soon become apparent that she has a problem.

The Queen Vic previously saw a boozy landlady in Angie Watts – actress Anita Dobson – who regularly got wasted on gin to blot out the emotional pain caused by her husband Den’s (Leslie Grantham) affairs.